Shawna,
Thank you so much for the great input! (and understanding!) I actually get Dr. Becker’s e-mailed newsletter and remember that article coming out a little while ago, but because Abby has been on this food in the past and done just fine, I couldn’t imagine that being the cause. At first, I thought it was just a little bug of some sort, like the human version of the flu that would pass. And the vet tech that I talked to said it could be that. I actually keep the empty bags of food in a pile that go into their bin so I know what I’ve had them on in case there are any reactions for better or worse to whatever food they are on. I rotate it about every 3 months. I take their health VERY seriously, so I only give them the 5 star foods and have experimented with no rice, no potatoes, no grain, etc., etc. etc. My 12.5 year old female has a chronic cough and I was told no grains would help with digestion and whatever was causing the coughing, but despite all the foods I’ve tried, she still has it, but the chinese herbs she’s on has kept her from having to take dangerous allergy meds the vet wanted to put her on for life. In any case, I’m hoping we don’t have to go in for the thyroid test that is the vet’s next step, although she felt Abby at 4.5 years old, was too young to have thyroid issues. I think this was intended to be a short term trial thing on the pepcid because she told me to call her wednesday with a report of how Abby’s doing, but I want to give it a bit more time before I do in case she relapses when I take her off of them and put her back on Nature’s Logic chicken, which she’s been on just fine in the past. Whatever happens, none of my dogs will ever be on any harmful meds long term if I have any other choices at all. This was just a case of exhaustion and wits end with all other means I had tried. And I googled this topic to death and could not find a single case of anyone else having this same issue. She didn’t eat anything to block her intestines, she was going to the bathroom just fine, she’d been on this food for about 2 1/2 weeks after having been on it in the past with no problems at all. I gave her petburger cooked, petburger raw, petburger cooked with rice, canned food, canned food with apples, canned food with yogurt, and probably other variations that I can’t recall in my attempts to help her. And she didn’t always get sick during that two week period consistently, so it was hard to know if it was from eating or not eating or what she ate this time or the last time. I keep the food bowls for all four dogs outside with food usually available, so she has/had the option to eat at night before coming in for bed. This routine did not change and has worked for years. It’s just sooo frustrating because there is no real direct link for cause and effect that I can change or avoid to stop or prevent it from happening again.
